Belgian priests push back on euthanasia directive for Catholic hospitals

[rug]

The Brothers of Charity in Belgium are pushing back against a directive issued by their board to start performing euthanasia in their facilities. The brothers, who run 15 psychiatric hospitals with 5,000 patients, have called this decision unacceptable and "against our charism of the charity.”



Catholic News Agency
May 3, 2017

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Following a decision by the board of several Belgian Catholic psychiatric hospitals to start performing euthanasia, the religious brothers who operate the hospitals said the policy change is unacceptable and cannot be implemented.

“We deplore this new vision,” said Brother René Stockman, the superior general of the Brothers of Charity. Stockman is himself a Belgian and a leading opponent of euthanasia.

The Brothers of Charity in Belgium run 15 psychiatric hospitals with 5,000 patients. The board controlling their institutions has said it will now allow euthanasia in these hospitals.

Stockman said he has informed the Belgian congregation that “as general superior we cannot accept this decision, because it is going totally against our charism of the charity.”

https://cruxnow.com/global-church/2017/05/03/belgian-priests-push-back-euthanasia-directive-catholic-hospitals/

Related: http://www.flanderstoday.eu/innovation/experts-ask-end-euthanasia-based-mental-health-problems

[Jim__]

1. It seems that if the Catholic hospitals provide access to institutions that will perform euthanasia

…. and based on your previous thread on this issue, they do provide that access, they should not have to perform the act themselves.

On the issue of euthanasia for incurable mental health problems, the current system of requiring 3 doctors to agree that there is no cure for a patient’s illness and that the patient is making a rational decision in requesting euthanasia seems reasonable. It does seem that a mentally ill person with an incurable mental disease should have the option of requesting euthanasia.

[rug]

2. The real pain of mental illness is rarely acknowledged.

I remain skeptical that there is no alternative to euthanasia though. Regardless, Belgium is generating much data on the subject. It's is currently dealing with euthanasia for minors and, ironically, euthanasia for prisoners. It is such a final outcome that I'm not ready to jump on any bandwagon yet.